JAPANESE KNOTWEED Figure 1: Initial Knotweed Growth
Figure 2: Zig-zag appearance of the stem
JAPANESE KNOTWEED:
THE SEASON IS UPON US Early Season Identification You might have noticed as the weather improves and the days become longer, that Japanese knotweed growing season is upon us. The emergence of knotweed depends on the weather, but as a guide, it starts to appear between March and April, with shoots that look like red/ purple asparagus spears. As it grows, the shoots uncurl, revealing lime-green shovel-shaped leaves. The stem has the indicative zig-zig, with visible purple speckles. The fastest growth-period is during spring and by late spring, canes can reach up to 3 metres high.
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Japanese Knotweed: The Unkillable Thug Despite claims by some companies, Japanese knotweed cannot be killed or eradicated by herbicide application alone. It can be controlled via herbicide treatment, but the only way to eradicate it from a property is via excavation. Our excavation methods fully remove the knotweed from the ground. Our experts ensure complete Japanese knotweed removal, because leaving as little as 0.7g of rhizome could mean that knotweed re-grows.
Treatment vs Removal Treatment of Japanese knotweed is accomplished through our Herbicide Treatment Programme (HTP). An HTP involves methodical and carefully managed visits where the correct use of chemical over a sustained period will exhaust the plant and prevent the spread of knotweed. This removes the risk of damage being caused to property during the treatment period. Our HTP is designed to cause maximum damage to the plant and achieve effective control in a short period of time. Suitable herbicides applied correctly can damage the knotweed crown and rhizome significantly enough to eventually prevent stem re-growth.
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